Diabetes can hit without warning, and a lot of people don’t even know they’re at risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that about 40 percent of adults ages 40 to 74 have a condition called prediabetes.

Prediabetes occurs when glucose levels climb higher than normal but are not yet considered diabetic. Many people with prediabetes develop diabetes within 10 years.

There’s a bright side to the news about prediabetes: It doesn’t inevitably lead to diabetes. People with prediabetes have the power to delay—or even prevent—diabetes by taking steps to lower their glucose levels.

Ask your doctor about screening tests that can detect prediabetes. If you find out that you have prediabetes, and you’re carrying around excess pounds, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can delay or prevent the onset of diabetes, say studies. You can do this by eating a healthy diet and exercising.

In fact, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that these simple lifestyle changes delayed the development of diabetes by 58 percent in people with prediabetes.

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?
To find out, take our online Diabetes Risk Assessment test. Go to www.parmounthealthcare.com and click on “Better Health for Life,” “Interactive Tools,” “Risk Assessments,” and “Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment.”